Songs I Sing. B. Germain Reynolds

upon the earth

      And taller than every doubt,

      Remember

      How God led you yesterday

      And that today is another gift,

      Pray

      Like you are talking to a friend

      And heed the answer he sends,

      Think

      Fast, kind, long, hard

      And then act like you give a care,

      Wait

      For the moment, the place, the person

      And keep moving until you get there

      Reach

      Up to that which will make you grow

      And back to those who still fear,

      Give

      Back to the community of your growth

      And into your better self,

      Stand

      Firm on your cherished beliefs

      Until knowledge reveals a better way,

      Study

      Deep into a subject

      And yield to the convictions therein,

      Share

      A good thought and a prized possession

      And see one produce many more,

      Smile

      Even when it hurts

      And muscle the tears away,

      Watch

      That you do not lose hope

      And check that you are on the right path

      Do

      Something good each day

      And something right each time.

      Shake and Roll

      There is no rain

      Yet my cheeks are wet

      I did not run a mile or train

      It could not possibly be sweat.

      It did not fall

      Yet my heart is broken

      It happened after your call

      And its few words lethally spoken.

      There is no rope

      Yet my hands are tied

      I find no scope

      With you by my side.

      They did not rise

      Yet my feet are unbound

      Once I lift my eyes

      My path will be found.

      It won’t be the route easily taken

      While my mind grows a bruise

      I will not be shaken

      Unless I doubt my muse.

      There is no way back

      Even on a gray day

      I can ride off track

      Into the crowded highway.

      The tollgates were a speed bump

      I would have to take care

      On an errand over the grief hump

      To buy a new pair.

      White gloves and dancing shoes

      I trust the fit would be neat

      The end of sad news

      Spotless hands on steady feet.

      Mum advocated for a clean nose

      She told me once, she told me twice

      I would keep her counsel close

      It would carry me past a new vice.

      No drama was needed

      Two actors left on the stage

      You and I, pride ceded

      As we stepped out of our gilded cage.

      Learning to sing a new song

      “Forget you,” “Shake, rattle, and roll”

      I must keep the beat strong

      Filling my empty bowl.

      If You Can Wait

      If you can wait

      The rain will stop

      A hit song will drop

      The pot will have boiled

      A crime will be foiled

      If you can wait

      But a moment

      To make a comment

      For a little while

      Then let loose that smile,

      If you can wait

      For an angel to deploy

      For that coveted toy

      For your soul to settle

      And find its righteous mettle

      If you can wait

      For a lover to call

      For your child to grow tall

      For bonus points to accrue

      The sky will turn blue.

      If you can wait

      To talk it over with a friend

      For the weird fad to end

      For a better day

      And a kinder phrase to say

      If you can wait

      For God to call your name

      For your turn to get into the game

      The job will be well done

      The conquest will be won.

      If you can wait

      For reason to restrain

      For hope to constrain

      For the flower to bloom

      And your stomach to have room

      If you can wait

      The right person will show

      Your joy will grow

      The fever will break

      The right choice you will make.

      Upside Down

      If you stand on your head

      And don’t fall off the bed

      Then the ceiling is your reach

      And through the ground your brains might leach

      And walking is a chore

      Your hands plenty sore

      Then an adjective becomes a noun

      And a smile looks like a frown

      Then pigs become pork

      And play becomes work.

      If you cover your ears

      And say yes to your